Sunset Gates, 2020 Acrylic and mixed media on canvas On loan from the artist
In this painting, Bart has removed words from “The New Colossus,” the famous poem displayed on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty (1903). Written by Emma Lazarus, the words have become a promise of welcome and protection to those coming to American shores seeking refuge.
Bart's erasure of words from Lazarus’ sonnet suggests its message to be under threat of obliteration, while the knotted chords call for its remembrance. These chords reference quipu, a system of tying strings with knots used by the Inca and other ancient civilizations of Andean South America for record-keeping and communication.
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